Ghost Rider's New Flaming Skull Design Might Be the Coolest He's Ever Looked (& The Most Terrifying)

Summary Danny Ketch has mastered the Spirit of Vengeance, appearing in a dark combined form.

Unlike the original Ghost Rider Johnny Blaze, Danny has accepted the Ghost Rider, developing a more symbiotic bond.

Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt #3 will be available July 31, 2024 from Marvel Comics

As the vampire apocalypse of Blood Hunt continues, Danny Ketch, the second Ghost Rider, has reformed the Midnight Sons to stop the world from being plunged into darkness at the hands of their former ally Blade. While the new Midnight Sons make their way to New York City, mysterious visions plague their dreams, turning their attention toward a single hospital in Chicago. Whatever is hidden there, the Ghost Rider craves vengeance.

In the ongoing Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt miniseries by Bryan Hill and Germán Peralta, Danny Ketch and his Midnight Sons have been sidetracked from their quest to put down Blade and end the global vampire threat. After having discovered a demonic summoning circle within the hospital and a new suspicion that there may be something more Chthonic behind Blade’s corruptive evil, the Spirit of Vengeance shows surprising restraint, as a merged version of Danny and the Spirit declares, "Penance is patient."

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The truly amazing art from this preview of issue 3 shows Ghost Rider only part-transformed, with the fiery skull offset by Danny Ketch's face and eye. It's not just a horrifying visual of the Rider burning away Danny's human form, but a symbol of how Ketch - better than any other Ghost Rider - has reached a state of balance with the Spirit of Vengeance.

Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt #3 (2024) Writer: Bryan Hill

Artist: Germán Peralta

Colorist: Arthur Hesli

Letterer: Cory Petit

Cover Artists: Ken Lashley & Juan Fernandez

Danny Ketch Has Mastered the Ghost Rider's Darkness

The Spirit of Vengeance Can Be Used for True Good by the Right Person

When the first incarnation of the Sons was formed, the Mother of Demons had plunged the world into a hell-imbued darkness that saw Marvel’s most monstrous heroes emerge from the shadows to put down the threat. While the roster has changed over time, the mission remains the same and with its newest leader, and oldest member, more in control of their infernal powers than ever before. The Spirit of Vengeance, whether it be a demon or a vestige of God’s will, is a volatile force that craves vengeance against the wicked but, in recent years, Danny Ketch has found a way to balance its impulsive desire to punish with constructive acts of good.

Ketch and his Rider have an entirely different dynamic that makes him honestly more terrifying than his brother could ever be.

Most fans are used to the antagonistic relationship between a host and the Ghost Rider. Marvel's first Rider Johnny Blaze has been fighting his inner-demon for control for over 50 years. However, Ketch and his Spirit have an entirely different dynamic that makes him more terrifying than his brother could ever be. In this miniseries, Danny and his Ghost Rider act in unity. The transformations between forms are frequent but are done with ease. Danny gives himself over to the Rider and it returns his body without struggle. They're closer than any other Ghost Rider to becoming a single being.

Danny Ketch is a Ghost Rider Without Mortal Limitations

True Unity Between a Host and Their Rider Means Limitless Potential

Unlike Johnny Blaze or Robbie Reyes, Daniel Ketch has learned to accept and honor the Rider and, in turn, the Rider respects him. Throughout the comics, Daniel has been host to multiple Spirits of Vengeance and has forged a deeper understanding with the divine creatures that no other host has. After so many years of watching Johnny Blaze fight against his inner demons, seeing Ketch calmly allow the Rider to speak through him as it pleases is terror-inducing. It is as if the seemingly essential barrier between Host and Rider has burned away and the two halves have merged. Indeed, Marvel should consider using this half-and-half design more often, showing how Danny has earned balance with his supernatural side, existing as part-human, part-living embodiment of wrath.

Daniel Ketch’s control over and coexistence with his Spirit of Vengeance could make him the strongest of the Ghost Riders. Marvel has established that the only limitation a Spirit has is the will of the mortal they’re attached to, but what happens when the host has no fear of the vestige of God’s power they have been given? The Midnight Sons' newest mission is preparing to answer that question, as an eldritch mystery pushes Ghost Rider into true symbiosis between Danny Ketch and the Spirit of Vengeance.

Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt #3 will be available July 31, 2024 from Marvel Comics

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